Ultrasonic rod waveguide-radiator

• US 20060090956A1
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Sonomechanics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Advanced Ultrasound Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Friedman, Michael L., Hawkins, Wilton A., Peshkovskiy, Sergey L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,156,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 181/249
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22018 segmented along its length
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 3/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for transmitting mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency

Abstract

The present invention comprises an ultrasonic resonant rod waveguide-radiator with at least three cylindrical sections, one of which is an entrance section having a planar entrance surface and another of which is an exit section having a planar exit surface, and at least two sections having a variable cross-section. The cylindrical sections and sections of variable cross-section are arranged in alternating fashion and connected to each other acoustically rigidly. The dimensions of the cylindrical sections and the sections of variable cross-section are selected so that the gain of the waveguide-radiator is significantly greater than unity and the strain created by passage of ultrasonic waves through the waveguide-radiator is minimized, increasing the operational life of the waveguide-radiator and maximizing the amount of useful energy transmitted by the waveguide-radiator.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic resonant rod waveguide-radiator having a defined length, an entrance surface and an exit surface, comprising:

at least three cylindrical sections, including a first cylindrical section comprising the radiator'"'"'s entrance surface and a second cylindrical section comprising the radiator'"'"'s exit surface;

at least two sections of variable cross-section;

wherein said cylindrical sections and said sections of variable cross-section arrayed in alternating positions and acoustically rigidly connected together;

wherein the ratio of the cross-sectional areas of the exit surface and the entrance surface is approximately 1;

1;

wherein the waveguide-radiator'"'"'s total length is equal to a multiple of half the length of an acoustic wave in the waveguide-radiator material, taking into account a geometrical dispersion;

wherein the total length of the sections of variable cross-section is equal to or greater than the value of Log(N)/k;

wherein the sum of the length of the second cylindrical section and the length of the section of variable cross-section adjacent to said second cylindrical section is at least 30% of the total length of the waveguide-radiator.

2. The ultrasonic resonant rod waveguide-radiator of claim 1 further comprising resonant plates fastened acoustically rigidly to said second cylindrical section for vibrating at a bending mode.

3. The ultrasonic resonant rod waveguide-radiator of claim 1 further comprising resonant spheres fastened acoustically rigidly to said second cylindrical section for vibrating in a radial mode.

4. The ultrasonic resonant rod waveguide-radiator of claim 1 further comprising a thin plate fastened acoustically rigidly to said second cylindrical section and positioned on said second cylindrical section'"'"'s side surface in a helix in such a way that the radiating surfaces of the plate are at an acute angle with the axis of the waveguide-radiator.

5. The ultrasonic resonant rod waveguide-radiator of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical sections and said sections of variable cross-section are selected such that the main flux of acoustic radiation into a load additionally is directed through the side surfaces of said waveguide-radiator'"'"'s second cylindrical section.

6. The ultrasonic resonant rod waveguide-radiator of claim 1 further comprising flexible long waveguides rigidly connected to the exit surface of said waveguide-radiator, said flexible waveguides capable of being excited by said waveguide-radiator'"'"'s vibration amplitude causing such that said flexible waveguides lose mechanical stability.

7. The ultrasonic resonant rod waveguide-radiator of claim 1 further comprising an ultrasonic reactor having a working medium, said reactor situated within the waveguide radiator and said reactor comprising a hollow resonant sphere acoustically rigidly connected to said waveguide-radiator and being an integral part of said waveguide-radiator.

8. The ultrasonic resonant rod waveguide-radiator of claim 1 further comprising an even number of annular piezoelectric elements situated on said cylindrical sections, for converting electric energy into acoustic energy.